OREGON CYCLING NEWS

Oregon & Portland bicycling news, photos and videos

Before starting his 25-mile daily bicycle commute from outer east Portland to his Web-design job in Tualatin, Randy Word suits up. Skintight biking pants: check. Reflective tape on jacket: check. Flashing lights: check.

And intestinal fortitude: Check, because the ride is scary and unpredictable -- at least until Word hits inner Portland.

Continue reading "Outer east Portland gives bike commuters a rough ride" »

It is sunny on the day I meet her -- a detail that I might not otherwise remember if not for the fact we meet at a cyclocross race and I am irritated about the lack of mud.

I recognize her immediately. She is wearing the helmet I'd coveted for more than a year. Long brown hair. Laughing tentatively. She looks as nervous as I feel.

I roll up to where she is standing on the start line and introduce myself. "Are you Heather Gundersen?"

Continue reading "Seek out the Heather Gundersens of the world" »

Take the Sellwood Bridge, please.

The cracked, aging span has long been a symbol of how far the region's infrastructure has fallen into disrepair. The busiest two-lane bridge in the state has been sliding down a ridge on the west side of the Willamette River since the 1960s. It's so fragile, buses and heavy trucks have been banned from it since 2004.

Continue reading "Region weighs what to do about cracked Sellwood Bridge" »

A Northeast Portland man who smashed into three bicyclists pedaling in the 2007 Seattle to Portland ride will serve 6.5 years in prison, court officials said today.

Daniel B. Whittlinger, 41, was convicted of two counts of second-degree assault, one count of third-degree assault, failure to perform the duties of a driver and driving under the influence of intoxicants.

Continue reading "Man who struck cyclist gets 6.5 years in prison" »

At mile 54, my teammate Steve Brown rolls up to me with his big $3 million grin.

"How ya feelin'?"

There is no room for pretense at this point. I checked my ego at the door after the 26 mph "warm-up."

"Steve. I am in so much pain. I want to chop my legs off with an ax and throw them away."

Continue reading "Saved by the wheel" »

After a judge denied a request to withdraw his guilty plea, a Portland man was sentenced Friday to nearly six years in prison for hitting a cyclist while drunk and then speeding off.

Jeremy Keith Jordan, 31, was taken from the courtroom in handcuffs after saying goodbye to his baby daughter.

Continue reading "Drunken driver gets 70 months for hitting Portland cyclist" »

Even as gas prices declined from record highs in July, motorists in September continued to drive less than they did a year ago, a report by the Federal Highway Administration said today.

Americans drove 4.4 percent less, or 10.7 billion fewer vehicle miles traveled (VMT), in September 2008 than September 2007, the eleventh-straight month of declining driving.

Continue reading "Americans, Oregonians continued to drive less in September" »

Oregon and Washington scored the highest rank for roadway safety laws, in a report released today by the Emergency Nurses Association.

The report, "2008 ENA National Scorecard on State Roadway Laws: A Blueprint for Injury Prevention," examines roadway safety laws in all 50 states and the District of Columbia and scores each based on 13 criteria.

Continue reading "Nurses group: Oregon, Washington have best road safety laws" »

Who: Jackie Dingfelder, 47, Portland; 5 feet 2 inches, 110 pounds

Workout: Dingfelder, D-East Portland, a former House member, is newly elected to the Oregon Senate representing District 23. When not working in the Legislature she's an environmental planning consultant.

Continue reading "Dingfelder turns commute into a workout" »

A motorist who chased a cyclist during the summer then drove off with the man clinging to the hood has been sentenced to 45 days in jail.

Multnomah County prosecutor Greg Moawad said James F. Millican, 21, was contrite at his plea hearing Monday when he was sentenced to 45 days in jail and three years of probabation with a long list of conditions, including mental health and drug and alcohol assessment and treatment.

Continue reading "Motorist who rode with cyclist on hood of car gets 45-day jail term" »

BETHANY -- Nearly 250,000 people in the United States have spinal cord injuries, and the number is growing by about 12,000 a year. Most are between 16 and 30 and in the prime of their physical development.

"If you haven't been injured like this, you can't really know what that means: no more running, bicycling, dancing, and no more sex," said Gary Paulsen, 48, of Bethany.

Continue reading "Paraplegic invents BedBike" »

A 200-square-foot mosaic marrying art and a safety message will pay permanent tribute to cyclist Brett Jarolimek at the site where he was killed last year.

The tile mosaic will feature a picture of Jarolimek taken during a cyclocross race the day before his death and the message "Please share the road."

Continue reading "Friends of dead cyclist plan mosaic as tribute" »